Boris Johnson: defining the target

I got a telling off from a Friendly Lefty last week. Responding to my recent Cif piece about Mayor Johnson's numerous evasion tactics he says I should have realised long ago that Boris is a bad thing and goes on to upbraid others he considers far too soft:

In terms of the political tack of the Johnson administration, there is a now assumed consensus that it is basically Ken-light. The many proponents of this view in the media point to liberal proclamations concerning refugee rights. But this is a highly problematic argument. The bulk of the progressive policies of the Livingstone era have now been removed or are in the process of being dismantled.

Friendly then draws up a familiar list of Boris sins, points to the latest public transport fare hikes and blames the Mayor for problems with the funding of the Tube upgrades. This critique is interesting for several reasons.

Let's look at that "Ken-lite" view. It's not a term I've used, but those who have are mostly referring to Boris's continuing to back the biggest transport infrastructure projects that were planned and begun under Livingstone. Boris has prioritised Crossrail, raising money from property developers and businesses to help fund it. He's also argued vigorously that Tube Lines should meet the shortfall in upgrade finances rather than TfL and fare-payers (the funding chaos is Gordon Brown's fault, not Boris's, anyway). In these very big ways Boris, far from reversing Ken's "progressive agenda", has continued where Ken left off. Ask Ken.

Friendly also laments the reducing or dismantling of cultural festivals and the ending of the Women's Unit. The trouble with making a big issue out of these is that quite a lot of Londoners don't care. These include one or two lefty feminists I could name, people who'd welcome a big, multi-cultured popular music concert in the capital but think Rise required an update, and others who reluctantly accept that private sponsorship is going to have to play a larger part in the funding of cultural events in the capital and probably would have under any mayor.

What about those public transport fares rises? It is undoubtedly very telling that the most pain has been inflicted on those on the lowest wages. But too many lefties have failed to notice that many public transport changes are unchanged this year and that Boris has actually increased the range of benefit claimants who qualify for concessionary fares.

In short, Boris has not always behaved quite like the deep-dyed free-market believer he fundamentally is. This morning, he has announced funding to improve the provision of rape crisis centres. True this follows an impressive exercise in direct action and his critics are right to say that he's still falling short of his election promise. Even so, Boris can rightly claim that he's done more on the last mayor on this issue.

My point is very simple. It is that characterising Boris as an archetypal, nasty, right-wing Tory "behind the mask" will cut only so much ice in the real world. That's only partly because it's only partly true. There's another reason too. Try this from a London primary school teacher:

I met Boris Johnson! He is so witty, and so intelligant (sic). And I have been buzzing all week since that moment! Kelly, Charles and I went to 'Question Time', it only happens twice a year, and the mayor and other politicians answer questions from the public about controversial issues. These issues included crime, the Olympics, transport, the environment etc etc. Did you know that London is actually safer than Amsterdam or Paris? I really wanted to meet Boris but [it] seems so did everyone else there so we ended up leaving without getting a chance, but then who gets on the same tube as us?! Boris and about 7 other politicians. This was my moment!!! I politely introduced myself and asked him to be the prime minister of NZ. Himself and the other politicians found this greatly amusing and this led onto a conversation about Lord of the Rings and Flight of the Concords. He was very friendly as were the other politicians. My class and I are going to write to him and lets hope he will come into school to see us!

Yes, people like him. No challenger from the left should forget it. Neither should he or she forget that any bold and progressive alternative agenda must contrast itself with everything that Boris has actually done, not simply certain very particular things that some lefty activists might wish he hadn't. If you don't see your target clearly, you'll miss it.